BREAKING :Entire Medical System In Smaller Cities And Villages In UP is Like "Ram Bharose", Says Allahabad High Court in COVID19 Suo Moto Case

A Division Bench of Justices Siddhartha Varma and Ajit Kumar said,

"The entire medical system of the State pertaining to the smaller cities and villages can only be taken to be like a famous Hindi saying 'Ram Bharose'."

The remarks were made in light of a Covid-patient who was reported to be missing from a District Hospital in Meerut District.

The Court had earlier sought a report on this matter. Today, when the entire facts of the indecent were narrated to the Bench, it noted that it is a case of "high degree carelessness" on the part of the doctors who were on duty at the time.

"A patient is admitted to the hospital in an absolute care of doctors and paramedical staff and if the doctors and para medical staff adopt such casual approach and show carelessness in the performance of their duty, then it is a case of serious misconduct because it is something like playing with the lives of innocent people," it observed.

The Bench has asked the State Government take stern action against those responsible, may be they are the highest in the ranks. It has also directed the Government to compensate the dependents who have suffered the irreparable loss because of such carelessness.

"The Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health), Government of U.P. is therefore, directed to file an affidavit fixing responsibility in the matter. An affidavit shall also be filed on behalf of the Chief Secretary as to what is the stand of the Government and how it intends to compensate the dependents of the deceased. Necessary compliance affidavit may be filed within a week," it ordered.

Background

One Santosh Kumar, aged 64 years, went missing from the District Hospital, Meerut on April 22.

On an inquiry conducted by a three-member committee, it has come to light that on the said day, when the patient had gone to washroom, he fainted there. Dr. Tulika who was a junior resident and was on night duty, told that Dr. Anshu, who was on night duty, was not present.

She also said that Santosh Kumar was brought upon a stretcher in fainted condition and efforts were made to revive him, but he succumbed and by the time efforts were being made, the 8 morning team had arrived.

Dr. Tanishq Utkarsh, who was on duty when Santosh Kumar was admitted to the Hospital, got the body removed from the place and all efforts to identify the person went in vain. He could not trace out the file of the patient in isolation ward and even after counting the number of patients and file, the dead could not be identified. Thus, it was taken to be a case of unidentified body.

"It is quite surprising that Dr. Tanishq Utkarsh and his team that was on duty at the time of admission of patient on 21.04.2021, he himself could not identify the person," the Bench noted at the outset.

It added,

"If this is the state of affairs of treatment at medical College in the city like Meerut then the entire medical system of the State pertaining to the smaller cities and villages can only be taken to be like a famous Hindi saying 'Ram Bharose'."

Case Title: In-Re Inhuman Condition At Quarantine Centres…

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